17. Year C - Second Sunday of Easter

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VERSION: 29 April 2002

SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C

In 2004: 18 Apr

In 2007: 15 Apr

In 2010: 11 Apr

In 2013: 7 Apr

In 2016: 3 Apr

- - -

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Easter season' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

On the first day of the week, Jesus came and stood among them (Alleluia).

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (Alleluia).

(John 20:19,20 NRSV)

OR

'I am the Alpha and the Omega', says the Lord God (Alleluia),

who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Alleluia). (Rev 1:8 NRSV)

OR, use one of the standard Easter Sentences in the document 'Easter season', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

INTRODUCTION TO CONFESSION

One of the following introductions may be used before the confession of sins:

Friends in Christ:

Jesus said to the apostles:

'Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.

If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'

Therefore, let us confess our sins to God our Father

and ask him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.

OR

Friends in Christ:

St Peter and the apostles said:

'The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus,

and exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour

that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins.'

Therefore let us confess our sins to God our Father

and ask him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.

LORD, HAVE MERCY

For variations to the 'Lord, have mercy', see the document 'Easter season' (under 'Liturgy', 'Lord, have mercy' and under 'Hymns and songs' 'Lord, have mercy'), in the 'General and seasonal' folder, or use the following for this Sunday (based on the German).

Let us call on the Lord, to whom we belong through our baptism.

Lord Jesus Christ, you come and stand among us:

Lord, have mercy.

You bring us your peace:

Christ, have mercy.

You send us out as your peacemakers:

Lord, have mercy.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Almighty God,

grant that we who have celebrated the festival

of our Lord's resurrection

may, by the help of your grace,

bear its fruits in our lives;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Almighty God,

we have celebrated the festival

of our Lord's resurrection.

Lead us, by your goodness,

to bear its fruits in our lives.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray that we may live the new life of Christ. [silence])

Almighty and merciful God,

your Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life

for all who put their trust in him.

Raise us up from the death that comes with sin,

and give us the new life of faith in Christ,

so that we may always live to please you.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray for faith in our risen Lord. [silence])

Merciful God,

your Son Jesus Christ

is the resurrection and the life,

who gives hope and joy

to those who doubt.

Give to us who do not see you

faith and life and blessing,

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING

Acts 5:27-32 The apostles boldly proclaim Jesus' resurrection

(If using NRSV, begin: 'When they had brought the apostles, . . .')

PSALM

Psalm 118:14-29

Antiphon:

The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. (Ps 118:22 NRSV)

OR

Psalm 150

Antiphon:

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! (Ps 150:6a NRSV)

SECOND READING

Revelation 1:4-8 Every eye will see the Lord

ALLELUIA VERSE

Alleluia.

(Since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again;

death no longer has any power over him.

Alleluia.)

Have you believed because you have seen me?

Blessed are those who have not seen

and yet have come to believe. (John 20:29 NRSV)

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

John 20:19-31 Thomas sees the risen Christ and believes

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ (, raised to live forever).

Lord Jesus, thank you for letting Thomas doubt,

and for showing yourself after your resurrection.

Strengthen our faith in you as the living Son of God.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Living God,

let the resurrection of your Son transform our lives.

Make us bold in serving you

and bringing your good news to other people.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Jesus Christ is the firstborn from the dead, and he has made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father. Let us come to the Father to pray in the name of Jesus.

The regular response, OR:

Our Lord and our God,

breath on us the breath of life.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

God of life, show us the risen Lord through your life-giving Spirit, so that we may be filled with faith to do the work you have given us to do. We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL PREFACE

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But most of all we praise you

for the glorious resurrection of your Son,

the true Passover Lamb,

who has taken away the sin of the world.

By his death he has destroyed death,

and by his rising again he has restored life.

And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter

and all the other witnesses of the resurrection,

with earth and sea and all their creatures,

and with angels and archangels,

cherubim and seraphim,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

COMMUNION INVITATION

Jesus says: 'Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.'

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

For an Easter post-communion prayer, see the document 'Easter season', under 'Prayer after communion', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Almighty and merciful God,

your Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life

for all who put their trust in him.

As we have received his body and blood,

raise us up from the death that comes with sin,

and give us the new life of faith in Christ,

so that we may always live to please you.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

SEASONAL BLESSING

This seasonal blessing is used together with (ie before) the usual blessing in the order of service.

(May) the God of peace,

who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus,

provide you with every good thing you need

in order to do his will; . . .

OR, before the blessing, this response may be used:

Look, he is coming with the clouds;

every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him.

So it is to be. Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, watching for the coming of the Lord.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

OR

Go in peace. The Lord is risen indeed.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading: Acts 5:27-32

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Revelation 1:4-8

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel :John 20:19-31

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 118:14-29

See the document 'Easter Day' for suggestions of settings and paraphrases of verses of Psalm 118.

IONA COMMUNITY SONGS FOR EASTER

For Iona songs, see suggestions in the document 'Easter season', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Especially note that 'Jesus is risen from the grave' (page 116, John L Bell & Graham Maule, Wild Goose Songs vol. 3 Love from Below) is suitable for today.

Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or overhead transparency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

ACTS 5:27-32: The apostles had been arrested under the authority of the high priest and put in prison. Their preaching and miracles were seen as a threat. After being released miraculously by an angel, they returned to the temple to continue preaching. Their brave repudiation of the Council's rejection of Jesus was in the utter certainty of Jesus' resurrection from the dead and the strong evidence and witness of the Spirit's power working with them.

REVELATION 1:4-8: Christians often find themselves under threat and danger from the movements exercised by powers of this world. The seven churches to whom John writes denote the whole church in its divergent and comprehensive workings. With this greeting he strengthens his readers in their consciousness of God's completeness, power and authority, Father, Son and Spirit (the seven spirits before the throne). The Christ whom he praises gloriously for freeing us from sin will finally overcome these evils which appear to overwhelm the Christian. When Christ comes, his enemies will have no alternative but to submit. God, who is sovereign over all past history, and the future, gives his word for this.

JOHN 20:19-31: The peace between God and his foremost creature, established and pronounced by God in Jesus' resurrection, is now declared by Jesus to the assembled disciples. They are directed to pass it on in declaration of that same forgiveness in the absolution. Any who refuse that forgiveness still live under condemnation. Despite his initial misgivings and stated doubt, Thomas receives the same gracious affirmation of the Lord eight days later. He could not but make the strong confession now that Jesus is 'my Lord and my God'. Those, like us, who believe through the testimony of others are truly blessed.

VISUAL

DECORATION

Continue to use Easter decorations at least until this Sunday (the octave of Easter). Even better, consider leaving the Easter decorations in place for all seven Sundays of Easter.

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, the second reading could be accompanied by the symbols of the alpha and the omega; and the gospel could be accompanied by a picture like the illustration in the TEV Bible for John 20:27.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the first reading could be read by three readers: narrator, high priest, and Peter; and the gospel from John could be read by four readers: narrator (the pastor), Jesus, a disciple, and Thomas.

Alternatively, the gospel could be acted out as follows (according to the NRSV text). The pastor may be the narrator.

N = Narrator

J = Jesus

C = Congregation (disciples)

T = Thomas

The congregation stands for the gospel.

('Jesus' enters, wearing a white alb, and stands in the sanctuary facing the congregation.)

('Jesus' holds up his hands to the congregation)

('Jesus’ exits)

('Thomas' enters and stands in the middle of the congregation)

('Jesus' enters and stands in the sanctuary as before)

('Thomas' approaches 'Jesus' and kneels before him)

('Jesus' and 'Thomas' maintain tableau until the end of the gospel. Narrator looks straight at the congregation as the reading is completed.)

CHILDREN

TALKING WITH THE CHILDREN

Show a baptism candle to the children and explain that this is lit from the paschal candle to show that the risen Christ has come into the life of the person who is baptised. Ask them if they have a baptism candle at home, and suggest that they light it at Easter and on the anniversary of their baptism.

AND/OR

Explain the symbols on the paschal candle to the children:

the date (this year)

the cross (Jesus died on the cross)

the nails (Jesus was crucified with nails; he received five wounds)

the alpha and omega (Jesus is risen and alive, he is the beginning and the end)

the flame (the light of Christ lives in us)

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is now available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

The story for the Second Sunday of Easter in year C is: Peter's escape from prison (Acts 12:1-17) (to be found in both the original edition and the RCL edition Series C for 2 Easter).